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2 Sheets-Sheet 1,.

0. GEARING. Process and Apparatus for Manufacturing Heating and Illuminating Gas.

Patented June 4;1878,

. f |1 mine/8866 I I W izl u 2 Sher.s--Sheet 2.

. O. GEARING. Process and Apparatus for Manufacturing Heating and Illuminating Gas.

Patented June- 4, 1878.

N. PETERS, PHGTOMTHOGRAPHER. WASNINGTON. D O.

i an cu l si'rctioiml Yin; SiHM'ill human; in w CHARLES GEAlti rriuusrmimm, ASSIGNOR on onu- Iiiiiii HIS iilGlil TO liiAlliUlili HARPER, OF SAME PLAGE.

iii IPRUVEMEM iii Piiocmrs AND APPARATUS roR iimuumcrumue HEATiNG Auvuruumtj NGGAsi lti mcifimtion {luminopart of Lcii'firo Patent N fifi -iizi'fiiii, dntc l Junc =4, i878; application. filed May if 15%.

r 13c iishnowuthut I, Hummus (in-mum, of

In tho ucconruniriu iirmrin u Figurc 1 i a h 7 urc i'vpijcrmiimi zit-- in thc sums plane; for convcuicncc oi 'iilusi "lilUlL i i: :1 plain View m Lin iuii liii'i lkf x-15:45.25; currcumliu the f('li|il)i; li4l2l4 nnznhvr and thc upper uu xiiinry chamber and rciortn. in a niur-I tho outurwinccntrir pnssngc, and tho horiz min] inu'tiiion niul lou'cr iiiT-P'IHSRQH.

' guugciuiruliiig i'urnucc or apparatus u oi'two ninin portionnr A which isi'hc ,aycnci'zu'i ir, in which the ncccsmrv combustion is proiluccil and Iliitllli'illiiiifil; and 13., an. auxiliary furnace,continuing two rlisiiiu-t chum hers, h, 0 each containing n bench oi" rctorts and their connotations. The TO-tflltn r r r 0* 0f the upper chu-iuhcr are for tho supcrhcutiug and rlcmunposiion of cum; and those otthc h: wcr ciumilmra r 5- are for tho vaporization of petroleum in coutuci; and combiimtion with superheated or 'ilccoinponmi stcnm, hcrciiuii'tcr not forth. All the i'ctorts arc horizontal llilliilfi, gircfixmhly of metal can paolc oi sisting' 5L prcssnrc of, my, fifty i pounds to thcsqluucinch, and are iilicii with sihclous bowh'lcro, such as arc commonly found in our rivers, coutnincil hctu'ccu inncr perforated hands within tho rotor-ts, which serve to 1110115 thoroughly ilis'tributc n-nrl mingle the gaseous cloincuts iillfh lllg' through them.

In the stcznn-dccomposhlg rctoris iron frugmcnts ofthc SiZO of a goosc cggnniy ho intcr-. spcrscd through the hmvh'icrs, in the honor tion of oncthiril iron to twothirifls boulders, with advantageous rcsultis.

l'hc main furnace or generator A consists of it cyhurlricnl G2'LSl71f,0f boilcuiron or of crd i i m-ry brick, within which are concentric pantiiions of lire-brick forming annular vertical irtnruh nos around a control combustionrim-mocrgr. \r'ithiu these concentric flucsf f f f are iircbrick laid in such manner as to break joints, but leave between. (iEl/Oh other spaces for the gaseous products to pass around and over thou: in t general progress through the iiucsa, the. object being to subdivide and mingle tho gaseous cicmcutn, and expose them to as large 11 hcutingsru'fiscii as possible. The inner npuccf is fiXUllHlQtl downward a short lisiuncc only; from tho top, thcinucr partition lacing intei'uicei an :i throat for thc combustiou-chnmhcr, n ul to aid the exit of the gaseinn; roducts rm uiiui through the Congo: spams. fihc outer ii'u'c'f is not cxtcnrieiu mil alcpti liut is scpuratcd by :5 horizontal artition, C, hciou' which there is a spirnl flnc, y, nscd for hearing niiggis heroin set forth.

The comhusfioucliziiiibcr (1" is conncctcd with tho upper chmnhcr I) of. the auxiliary. furnace hy thc scrics of conccntric fiucsf F f and passage or passages a; through passage w bctwecn thc maiu gene 'ator A and rctort-chzunbcrs b b i' h 7: h arc interior perforated partitions, of firebrick, near the ends of the retort-chambers,

for the more uniform distribution of the heated i products passing through the chambers. S is a blast-pip taxi/ending vertically dovgn-i wnrd through thethroat z" i, the parts being so arrnngcdq that the enlurgcmcnt or cpl-cad of the blast "111 cover the grntc-a-rczrbcnctln d' is a pipe, laid spirally in thc', ma'oni'y around thciowcr part of compustion chambcr i assess carbon is fed .into the blast-pipo 5, being car-- 1 ried in by a jet of superheated steam issuing through, S into the mouth of S within the vacuum-chamber, and conveyed by pipe S into the blast-pipe S, as indicated.

V V V V V are my vacuum-producing devices, the construction of which, being the same in each, is shown in the drawing,,l/' and V. V ,-located at the final outlet Z of auxiliary chamber 1), is used to create the artificial draft through the for 1886, as hereinafter set forth, and dischargethe gaseous product. V operates the blast through pipe 5 and the carbon-fe e dipg pipe S. V, between the main generatoraiid the auxiliary chamber 1), is designed to act more directly upon the combustimrchamber a and concentric fines f in aid of siphon V. V, the entrance-connection of retort s of the lower series, is used for feeding petroleum, with superheated steam, into the retorts s, the petroleum being drawn through pipe K from a reservoir. V, at the final outlet of lower auxiliary chamber If, is

used for exhausting the air therefrom.

'Dis a close-iitting removable cover, at the top of the combustion-chambera.

m is a pipe witha rose-nozzle, for admitting an upward countcrblast of superheated steam, with or without admixture ofhydrocarbou vapor,.beneath grate c.

The retorts of each series 1' and s are coin nected together in the order above described, and apipc, 12 connects the last of series 1' with the first of series 3, and is provided with a suitable valve or stop-cock. A pipe, 1), leads out of retort 1", dividing into branches 1) and p, the former leading-to exhausterV and the latter to cxhauster V. A pipe, 1), leads from retort s to the mouth of blast-pipe S, and is arranged to discharge concentrically with it. Suitable'valves or stopcocks regulate the flow through the exterior pipes.

z is a layer of bowlders, which I use upon gratec.

The steam used is generated in a separate boiler, which, for simplicity of explanation and illustration, I have omitted in the drawings, as I base no claim thereon.

In using my apparatus, I first open cover 1 D and door of u-sh pit c, and start a fire in the.

usual manner upon the bowlders 2. As soon as the coals become ignited I close I) and admit a jet of steam through exhauster V, exhausting by a suitable connection into the air. This produces an artificial draft within the furnace, and draws the, products of combastion from combustion-chamber a, through the concentric passages f f, j, and f through aperture ac, into and through the uppe chamber b, as indicated by the arrows. As soon as the combustion-chambers becomes somewhat, heated, so that steam may be superheated in the adjacent pipes d and S, I close the door of ash-pit a, and project through S va blast of stcan'i, superheated bypassing through d or through S with ither of which connection may be ma c, and at the same time admitpulverizcd carbonaceous material I such as coal, coke, wood, straw, 850., previously placed in the top portion of box It, to

flow down through the perlbratcd partition, whence, by a'jet of su 'ierheatcd steam issuing from pipe 8 into the mouth. of pipe S, it is forced through S, aided by the injector V into and with the blast issuing from S. The

particles of carbon are at once ignited, and

by continuance of the compound blast conibustion of most intense character ensues and is maintained, the heated products passing through the concentric spaces f and through the chamberb, all the parts being soon brought to a high degree of heat, which may be continued and increased to a point beyond the capacity of the most refractory materials to withstand. This, however, I regulate by graduating the amount of carbon and superheated steam admitted and by regulating the outflow, preferring to maintain the concentric partitions and retorts at a bright cherry-heat for continuous use. A small peep-hole, o, with stopper, serves to ascertain the heat dcsired. When this is reached, the gas-making operation is commenced. I then admit steam from superheating-pipc d, by pipe d, into the upper series of retort-s r, passing through all in succession in contact with the silicious bowlders, or bowlders and iron, as the case may be, by which it is partially or wholly decomposed. From retort 1* it is conducted through pipes p 12 and projected into the aperture :0 in contact with the heated products of com-. bust-ion, and in aid of the draft through the concentric passages f f, &c., forming at'that point an exhauster or injector, V, which also deposits the slaty refuse in .the ash pit 6'. At the same time I admit a counter-blast of superheated steam through pipe m, which keeps the bowlders free from any deposit of the carbon or slatyrcfuse and aids combustion, while protecting the'grate from the intense heat of tho bowldcrs z upon them.

By this means the carbon particles are constantly and thoroughly exposed to the action of the heated gases, and the combined products pass over and among the partitions and heated projections to the aperture .13, where they are again exposed to the action of heated gases issuing through p", receiving a final accession of decomposed steam at exhaust-er V whence the product is discharged to a holder, purifier. or to the point of use in the form of a hydrogen izcd carbonic oxide of great heating and considerable illuminating power.

ceases The remaining portion of the apparatus relates to a mode of further enriching the product above described by hydrocarbon gas to increase its illuminating quality. For this purpose I pass a current of raw steam, or superheated steam drawn from coil d or 8, through siphon V thus producing an artificial draft through lower retortchamber bhwhich is sup plied by air drawn through the outer casing at q, into and through passages g and 5/, being highly heated by contact with the partitionwall s, and imparting its heat to any desired degree to the. retorts 8. When these are heated to ,cheriyheat I pass through injector V into retort s a jet of decomposed steam drawn from retort 1', which at the same time carries in with it a quantity of petroleum drawn through feed'pipc K, and vaporized by contact with the heated steam-gases. These elements, in passing through the series of retorts S, are combined into a hydrocarbon gas by contact with the heated bowlders,

. thefirst d escribed'operationwhen designed to be used for fuel purposes.

The processes, apparatus, and results herein set forth' and claimed I have reached after many experiments, and have proved the results by repeated and satisfaetory'tcsts. It will be seen that the operation is continuous and automatic, and the combustion may be maintained and the gas produced without cessation so'long as the supply of steam and of pulverized carbon is kept up, and the intensity and amount of combustion may be regulated exactly to the needs of the operation by suitable valves, as already explained.

I claimas new- 1. The process o'fmanufacturin g illumii l atin ggas and producing the heat necessary to its manufacture in one and thesame operationnamely, by projecting into the combustim chamber of a gas-generating furnace, am

passing over a series of heated surfaces adjacent thereto, a blast composed of superheated steam, pulverized carbon, and hydrocarbon 3. In combination with the generator A,

having combustion-chamber a and concentric passages f, &c., blast-pipe S, rctortsr, and

exhaust device V, the air-heating passage g,

auxiliary chamber 11 with its bench of retorts s, and exhausting device V substantially as and for the purposes described.

4. In combination, in a gasgenerating furnace, the biast-pipe S, injector V and carbureting device it, substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. In a gasgeuerating furnace such as described, the blast-pipe S and counter'blast pipe m, having a rosenozzle, in combination, arranged and operating substantially as described.

The main furnace A, having combustionchamber-a, conce11ti-ic passages f f, &c., cover 1), grate c, ash-pita, passage 0:, ash pit e, in combination with auxiliary chamber Z) and retorts r, substantially as described and shown.

7 In combination with the main furnace A, having combustion-chainber a and passages f f", &c., emer, ash-pit, auxiliary chamber b,

and retort r, the air-hcatin g passage 5 passage auxiiiary chamber 1), and retorts 8, sub stautially as described and shown.

8. In combination with grate o of the combustion-chamber a of a gasgencrating furnace, the layer of bowlders z, substantially as and for the purpose described.

\Vitness my hand this 29th day of April, A.

I}. laid.

CHARLES GEARING.

Attest: i L. M. iiiosnn, fine. 1'). human. 

